Earth mover, bicycle cart used to shift Covid patients' bodies in Bihar

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Patna, May 7 (IANS) Amid the coronavirus pandemic, human sensitivity is also declining with a case emerging from Bihar's Araria where family members refused to perform last rites of a woman who succumbed to the disease, and social activists finally removed her body with an earth mover, two days after her death.

Radha Devi, 52, a resident of Jumman Chowk in Forbesganj city of Araria, was undergoing treatment in her house. She died on Tuesday night due to severe lung infection.

"Following the death of Radha Devi, her husband and other family members refused to cremate the dead body. They were not touching it in fear of infection. The deceased had four daughters and a minor son who urged neighbours for help but none of them came forward," said Dimple Chaudhary, a local social activist.

"When I learnt about the incident, I informed the local administration. By the time, the body had reached a decomposed stage. The officials of the municipal committee finally sent a team, and workers in PPE kits, took out the dead body, put it on a JCB machine and took it for cremation," Chaudhary said.

In another similar incident, the body of a 40-year-old man, who died due to corona in Bakhtiyarpur area of Patna district, also languished at his home.

Dimple Kumar, who had high fever for five days, was living with his elderly parents and wife in ward no 4.

After his death, his wife informed relatives and requested them to help in the last rites but none of them came forward. Eventually, the neighbours raised funds and gave them to the municipal committee for cremation.

Municipal officials, wearing PPE kits, came with a bicycle cart to take the body to the cremation ground, where his wife performed his last rites.

--IANS

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